RALEIGH —A project to replace 12 bridges throughout Johnston County is continuing to make progress, with the latest bridge closure scheduled to begin next week.

Starting Monday,Oct. 7, the N.C. Department of Transportation will close a section of Old Stage Road so crews with S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson can replace the bridge over Little Black Creek near the Johnston-Wake County line. The bridge is anticipated to reopen Feb. 3, 2014.

Because of the condition of the bridge, which was constructed in 1976, NCDOT posted a weight limit restricting single-axle vehicles weighing more than 31 tons and trucks weighing more than 34 tons from using the bridge. The new bridge will meet current design standards and will not have posted weight limits.

Motorists traveling north on Old Stage Road should use the following signed detour:

N.C.210 to Jackson-King Road to Dupree Road (Dupree Road changes into Turner Fish Road) to Carlie Adams Road to Mt. Pleasant Church Road back to Old Stage Road.

Motorists traveling south on Old Stage Road should use the following signed detour:

Mt. Pleasant Church Road to Carlie Adams Road to Turner Fish Road (Turner Fish Road turns into Dupree Road) to Jackson-King Road to N.C. 210 back to Old Stage Road.

This replacement is part of a $10.4 million express design-build contract awarded to S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson earlier this year to replace 12 bridges in Johnston County with new bridges by late 2015.

As part of this contract, a bridge on both N.C. 96 and Juniper Church Road are currently under construction and the bridge on Benson-Hardee Road has been replaced and is now open to traffic.

Express design-build allows construction to go from zero to completion in just eight months for each bridge. This is more efficient than traditional design-build for less complex projects that do not require additional right of way. The design-build method allows the design, environmental permitting, utility relocation and construction to take place at the sametime, under one contract. This method reduces overall construction time, helps the departmentavoid cost inflation, allows the contractor to make innovations that save taxpayers money,lessen environmental impact and alleviate driving delays for motorists.

Motorists are advised to use caution while traveling in the area and to expect delays. NCDOT reminds motorists to watch signs for construction information, stay alert and obey the posted speed limit.

For real-time travel information at any time, call 511, visit www.ncdot.gov/travel or follow NCDOT on Twitter at www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter.Another option is NCDOT Mobile, a phone-friendly version of the NCDOT website. To access it, type “m.ncdot.gov” into the browser of your smartphone. Then, bookmark it to save for future reference. NCDOT Mobile is compatible with the iPhone, Android and some newer Blackberry phones.